World’s Oldest Pets

Reader’s Digest Canada

They say old age creeps up like a thief in the night, but these pets certainly beat the odds. Here are some record-breaking pets that have just kept going and going. Do you have or know of any pets that have lived longer?

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Oldest Dog

The prize for the oldest dog ever recorded was awarded to Bluey, a sheepdog from Australia. Bluey was declared Victoria’s oldest dog in the late 1930s and lived on to win the world title. Bluey was born on June 7, 1910, lived for 29 years, five months and seven days (approximately 129 dog years), and apparently lived on a diet of kangaroos and emus.

Many reports were saying that Chanel, a wire-haired dachshund, held the record for world’s oldest dog at 21 years old. However, in recent years, dozens of pooches have been nominated for the proud title of World’s Oldest Dog, such as: Bramble (27), from Bridgewater, Somerset, Jerry (26) and Jip (25). The typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds but for most, the median longevity ranges from 10 to 13 years.

Oldest Cat

The average lifespan of an indoor cat is anywhere between 14-20 years but Creme Puff who died at age 38 human years (which averages to approximately 169 cat years), stands as the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2007 edition of Guinness World Records. Creme Puff lived with her owner, Jake Perry, in Austin, Texas.

Watch Jake Perry and how he keeps his beloved cats alive and well: South Paws Video

Oldest Goldfish

Tish the goldfish was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest captive goldfish, 43 years after he was won as a prize at a funfair. In later life, Tish had faded from bright orange to silver, but remained healthy until shortly before his death. As of 2003, “Goldie”, also 43 years old, will be in the next edition of Guiness. Goldfish have been known to live into their 30’s at least. Life expectancies from 10 to 20 years are normal for well cared for fish.

Oldest Rabbit

Hazel, a 16-year-old miniature grey rabbit set the world record for being the oldest living rabbit. The oldest rabbit alive on record until last year was George, who was born in March 1994 and was owned by a couple in Boston, Massachusetts. He was declared the oldest living rabbit in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records after several vets confirmed his age as 14, as of March 13, 2008. The average life expectancy of a rabbit is 5-8 years.

Oldest Chinchilla

Domestic chinchillas commonly live 15 years, but some have been known to live up to 20 or more. As of 2008, Bouncer held the official record for world’s oldest chinchilla. Bouncer was 27 years old on the 1st July, 2008. Bouncer was born on 1st July 1977 on a chinchilla ranch in Nottingham. The oldest chinchilla in America lived to be 26.

Oldest Caged Dove

The Guinness Book of Records cites a bird called Methuselah as the oldest caged dove in the world. Born in April 1975, Methuselah has lived with his owner, Manfred Meller, in Harxheim, Germany, for nearly 32 years.

Oldest Guinea Pig

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the oldest guinea pig known was 14 years and 10.5 months old and was named Snowball. The average life expectancy of guinea pigs is about 4 to 7 years. Snowball died in February 1979.

Oldest Tortoise

The Guinness Book of Records cites Harriet, a giant Galapagos land tortoise, to be one of the oldest animals on the planet, celebrating her 175th birthday in 2005. Charles Darwin picked her up during his epic voyage aboard HMS Beagle, and transported her home to England. Harriet was one of three tortoises collected by Darwin in the Galapagos; whom he called Tom, Dick and Harry, believing them all to be male. Harriet was born in 1830, and is one of the last members of a dwindling species.

Oldest Chimpanzee

Attribution: Delphine Bruyere After surviving more than 40 years in a barren cage, Gregoire spent his last 11 years in peace at a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees. Gregoire, was the oldest known living chimpanzee and lived at Jane Goodall’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center. He was 66 years old.

Oldest Horse

A horse’s typical life span is 20-25 years, but “Old Billy” lived to be 62! Billy was born in 1760 in the English village of Woolston in Lancashire Country. Only a few records remain about the horse but he was said to look like a cob/shire horse. As the oldest horse in the world, his passing on November 27, 1822 made the papers and was recorded in the Annals of Manchester.

Oldest Lab Mouse

Yoda, the world’s oldest mouse, celebrated his fourth birthday on Saturday, April 10, 2004. A dwarf mouse, Yoda lived with his cage mate, Princess Leia. Yoda was born on April 10, 2000 at the U-M Medical School. At 1,462-days-old, Yoda is about the equivalent of 136 in human years. The life span of the average laboratory mouse is slightly over two years.

World’s Oldest Animal

A British scientific team discovered a 405-year-old clam. The “Arctica Islandica” was among a haul of 3,000 empty shells and 34 live molluscs taken to the laboratory. The team from Bangor University in Wales was dredging the waters north of Iceland as part of routine research when they found the living organism. Unfortunately for the ocean quahog, by cutting through the shell, they killed the clam but were able to count its growth rings and determine its age.